Peugeot has worked on new solutions for the 9X8 with which it competes in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), famous since its debut for the absence of a rear wing. However, it will not use the new version from the beginning of the season in Qatar.
Olivier Jansonnie, technical director of Peugeot Sport, explained to the Motorsport.com website that it was already known that this would happen: ‘We knew from the beginning that we would not be able to [homologate] in February. The reason is that with this homologation process, when you make a joker, you can’t do only half of the work, you have to do it in its entirety, and it takes time to ensure that you maximize the effect of your joker’.
Conscious of the high level of competition, Peugeot wants to ensure that an upgrade to the car is indeed a clear and striking improvement in terms of performance. The renewed 9X8 will have the 29/34 tires like the Ferraris and Toyotas, unlike the 31/31 used until last year. It is not confirmed whether there will be a conventional rear wing or not. Encouraged by the data from the first tests, the goal is to complete the homologation by the end of March, debuting it at the Imola round in April.
